INVERNESS, FL -- Sept 3, 2024
Only one week after successfully concluding the second of our two PERC unit certification elections, CCEA and CCSD wrapped up contract negotiations for the 2024-2025 school year, paving the way for ratification voting and the possibility of retro checks in the month of October for Support members! Talks began early in 2024 with the compensation subcommittee meeting over the course of several months to knit together the fabric of a mutual proposal which would lead to a final settlement averaging just over 6% for Classified & Professional Technical Support and offering recognition of teaching experience for instructional staff for the first time since the Teacher Salary Increase Allocation (TSIA) was introduced.
Beyond salary improvements, this year's agreements secure improvement in the payout of terminal leave, define progressive discipline under just cause, and increase Board contributions to health insurance to ensure that more of the negotiated raises remain in employee's pockets. All tentative agreements are shared on the Collaborative Bargaining page and must be ratified by both the bargaining units as well as the school board in the coming days.
While both the TSIA and state mandated $15/hour minimum wage created considerable wage compression in both units, diminishing the value of experience in employee compensation, this year's agreement is an affirmation that experience does matter.